Collapsible container

ABSTRACT

A collapsible container ( 10 ) comprising a foldable blank ( 11 ), having a base panel ( 14 ), a pair of opposed side wall panels ( 12 ) and a pair of opposed end wall ( 13 ) panels, the side wall panels and the end wall panels being foldable into an upright position relative to the base panel to define adjacent side and end walls with four corners at their junctions; at least one reinforcing, load bearing pillar member ( 15 ); and at least one connecting clip ( 16 ), the connecting clip and the pillar member being configured and dimensioned to connect with adjacent side and end wall panels at a corner junction in an upright position while providing reinforcement and a top load bearing capability to the container.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a reinforced collapsible container, and moreparticularly, to a reinforced collapsible container made from flexiblesheet material such as cardboard or extruded plastic.

BACKGROUND ART

Cardboard and plastic-type collapsible containers, crates or boxes(hereinafter collectively referred to as “containers”), erectable out offoldable container blanks, are well known. These collapsible containersare used extensively for the transporting of a variety of consumer goodssuch as beverages, canned foodstuffs and fresh produce. The freshproduce may include fruit, vegetables or other perishable items, all ofwhich can easily be damaged or bruised.

In the fresh produce market in general and in the fruit export market inparticular, a problem exists in that when too many boxes are stacked ontop of one another, the containers tend to crumple and even collapse,loosing presentability and damaging the contents. This is particularlypertinent of the cardboard containers when they are brought into contactwith fluids, with the consequental weakening of the cardboard, such aswhen wet or damp fruit is packed into the boxes, when condensate formson the fruit due to temperature changes in cold storage and ripeningrooms or when produce fluids drain onto the cardboard.

Various improved collapsible containers, providing solutions to theabove problem, are known and have been described in previous patents andpatent applications, notably by the inclusion of reinforcing cornerposts for bearing the vertical or so-called top loadings in columnstacked arrangements. Most of the reinforced corner posts fall into twoprimary design groups. The first design group comprises of extended oradditional panels of foldable container blanks, foldable such as toprovide the posts of the containers in the erected format. The seconddesign group comprises independent pillar members, locatable in ortowards the corner of the container in the erected format, andattachable to the container blanks to provide the corner posts. Oneknown design of the independent pillar members, described inInternational patent Application no. PCT/ZA99/00020, comprises aninner-and-outer flange arrangement, the flanges being designed to engagewith each other through tongue-and-groove formations as well as toimprove the bearing of the top load in a column stacked arrangement. Theflange arrangement is, however, costly to manufacture and complicated toinsert.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novelyet relatively simple and inexpensive reinforced collapsible containerthat at least partially overcomes the problems mentioned above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided acollapsible container comprising

a foldable blank, having

-   -   a base panel;    -   a pair of opposed side wall panels and    -   a pair of opposed end wall panels,    -   the side wall panels and the end wall panels being foldable into        an upright position relative to the base panel so as to define        adjacent side and end walls with four corners at their        junctions; and

at least one reinforcing, load bearing pillar member; and

at least one connecting clip,

the connecting clip and the pillar member being configured anddimensioned to connect with adjacent side and end walls at a cornerjunction in an upright position while providing reinforcement and topload bearing capability to the container.

The pillar member may be locatable on the inside, alternatively, on theoutside of a corner of the folded blank.

The connecting clip and the pillar member may be integral, the clipbeing capable of securing at least one wall panel to the pillar member.

Alternatively, the connecting clip and the pillar member may beconfigured and dimensioned to connect with each other, preferably in asnap-fit fashion, securing at least one wall there between.

The connecting clip and the pillar member may be provided with a tonguein groove mechanism, alternatively, the connecting clip and the pillarmember may be provided with an insert and twist mechanism.

At least one wall panel may have at least one aperture along an edge,enabling the connecting clip to secure the corresponding wall panel othe pillar member.

The connecting clip may have at least one male protrusion that snap-fitsinto a female receiving formation on the pillar member, alternately; thepillar member may have at least one male protrusion that snap fits intoa female receiving formation on the connecting clip.

The pillar member may be substantially angular in cross-section,defining two longitudinal transverse planar surfaces, dimensioned andconfigured to abut a corner junction between two adjacent side and endwalls substantially along the junction thereof. Each pillar member ispreferably provided with a number of spaced apart, receiving formations,extending along each longitudinal planar surface, for receiving an equalnumber of connecting clips and connecting a pair of adjacent side andend walls at a corner junction in an upright position, while providingreinforcement and top load bearing means to the container.

The container may include a planar arranged string of connecting clips,interconnected and spaced apart for receipt by the correspondinglyspaced receiving formations along a single longitudinal planar surfaceof the pillar member. Preferably, the container may include an angularlyarranged string of connecting clips, interconnected and spaced apart forreceipt by the correspondingly spaced receiving formations along the twolongitudinal transverse planar surfaces of the pillar member.

Each pillar member may include stacking means configured and dimensionedreleasably to engage complementary dimensioned pillar members on acorresponding corner post when two containers according to the inventionare column stacked upon one another, the pillar member capable ofbearing a top load therewith.

Particularly, the stacking means may be longitudinally extending,opposed head and foot formations, configured and dimensioned to engageother containers, preferably in spigot and socket formation.

In one form of the invention, the stacking means may be an integralspigot located at one end of a corner post and adapted to be received ina socket formed in an opposite end of a corresponding corner post whentwo containers are stacked upon one another.

In another form of the invention, the spigot may be in the form of anexpanding barb adapted to pass through the base of the container and tolock within the socket.

The side walls and end wall panel may be attached to the base panel byany hinging means, such as crease lines, perforations, film hinges orthe like.

SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way ofa non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective assembly drawing showing the folding of theblank as well as the pillar member located inside the folded blank inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective assembly drawing showing the folding of theblank as well as the pillar member located outside the folded blank inaccordance with the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective assembly drawing of the inside of the pillarmember together with connecting clips in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective assembly drawing of the outside of the pillarmember together with connecting clips in accordance with the invention

The same reference numerals are use to denote corresponding parts in theaccompanying drawings.

The reinforced collapsible container (10) comprises a blank (11) that isfolded to form side walls (12) and end walls (13) extending upwardlyfrom the base (14). The side walls (12) and the end walls (13) definecorners at their junction with adjacent end walls (13) and side walls(12).

At the corners (14), pillar members (15) abut against the side walls(12) and end walls (13). The pillar members (15) may be inserted eitheron the inside of the folded blank (see FIG. 1), or on the outside of thefolded blank (see FIG. 2). The pillar members (15) connect the end walls(13) and side walls (12) to each other, and reinforce the corners of thecontainer (10).

In the embodiment shown by the diagrams, the male formations (17) on theconnecting clips (16) protrude through apertures in the side walls (12)and end walls (13) and snap fit into the female formations (19) in thepillar member (15).

In alternative embodiments, the male formations (17) may be on thepillar member (15) and the female formations (19) may be on theconnecting clips (16).

The pillar member (15) includes a stacking means (20), which is adaptedto engage the bottom of a corresponding corner post (15) of a similarcontainer (10) stacked on top of it.

It will be appreciated that may variations in detail are possiblewithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention,substantially as claimed in the claims hereinafter.

1. A collapsible container comprising a foldable blank, having a basepanel, a pair of opposed side wall panels and a pair of opposed end wallpanels, the side wall panels and the end wall panels being foldable intoan upright position relative to the base panel to define adjacent sideand end walls with four comers at their junctions; at least onereinforcing, load bearing pillar member, and at least one connectingclip, the connecting clip and the pillar member being configured anddimensioned to connect with adjacent side and end wall panels at acorner junction in an upright position while providing reinforcement anda top load bearing capability to the container.
 2. A collapsiblecontainer as claimed in claim 1 having four pillar members, locatable onthe inside of a corner of the folded blank.
 3. A collapsible containeras claimed in claim 1 having four pillar members locatable on theoutside of a corner of the folded blank.
 4. A collapsible container asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the connecting clip and the pillar member areintegral, the clip being capable of securing at least one wall panel tothe pillar member.
 5. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 1wherein the connecting clip and the pillar member are distinct parts,configured and dimensioned to connect with each other, securing at leastone wall panel there between.
 6. A collapsible container as claimed inclaim 1 wherein at least one wall panel has at least one aperture alongan edge, enabling the connecting clip to secure the corresponding wallpanel to the pillar member there through.
 7. A collapsible container asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the pillar member is substantially angular incross-section, defining two longitudinal transverse planar surfaces,dimensioned and configured to abut a corner junction between twoadjacent side and end walls substantially along the junction thereof. 8.A collapsible container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the pillar memberis provided with a number of spaced apart, receiving formations,extending along each longitudinal planar surface, for receiving an equalnumber of connecting clips and connecting a pair of adjacent side andend wall panels at a corner junction in an upright position, whileproviding reinforcement and top load bearing capability to thecontainer.
 9. A collapsible container as claimed in claim 8 having aplanar arranged string of connecting clips, interconnected and spacedapart for receipt by the correspondingly spaced receiving formationsalong a longitudinal planar surface of the pillar member and connectionof a wall panel at a corner junction in an upright position.
 10. Acollapsible container as claimed in claim 8 having an angularly arrangedstring of connecting clips, interconnected and spaced apart for receiptby the correspondingly spaced receiving formations along the twolongitudinal transverse planar surfaces of the pillar member andconnection of a pair of adjacent side and end wall panels at a cornerjunction in an upright position.
 11. A collapsible container as claimedin claim 1 having a pillar member with stacking means configured anddimensioned releasably to engage complementary dimensioned pillarmembers in a column stacked arrangement, the pillar member capable ofbearing a top load therewith.
 12. A collapsible container as claimed inclaim 11 wherein the stacking means includes longitudinally extending,opposed head and foot formations, configured and dimensioned to engagecomplementary dimensioned pillar members in a column stackedarrangement, the pillar member capable of bearing a top load therewith.